In 1766 Emperor Joseph ll opened the only hunting ground for the general population. Innkeepers and coffee brewers were allowed to erect their tents in the Prater. This was the hour of birth for the “Wurstel Prater”, today a magnet for the general public, offering many attractions and activities to suit the whole family. Next to the funfair there is a six square kilometre area of meadow and woodland, providing plenty of space for sport and recreation. Hence the name Prater, derived from Latin Pratum.
The Prater continued to grow with the development of Vienna in the 19 century. In 1873, the world exhibition took place in the Prater. It was the first in the German speaking world with 53,000 exhibitors. In 1895 “Venice in Vienna” was staged over an area of 50,000 square metres. An artistic replication of Venetian architecture, with Gondolas on canals.
In 1897 Vienna got its world famous landmark in the Prater, the Vienna Ferris Wheel. It was erected to celebrate the 50 Anniversary of the reign of the Emperor Franz Joseph I.
World exhibition 1873
Source: Endler F., Das k.u.k. Wien, Publisher Ueberreuther 1977
Traditionally mary go-round (carousel) in Prater
Ferris Wheel
Runners’ paradise Prater
